Fri Dec 27 12:00:55 UTC 2024: ## U.S. Reports First Severe Case of Bird Flu with Novel Mutations
**New Orleans, LA (December 27, 2024)** – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that genetic analysis of the first severe case of avian influenza in the United States reveals mutations not found in the infected birds on the patient’s property. The Louisiana resident, over 65, is suffering from severe respiratory illness caused by the D1.1 genotype of the virus.
The CDC confirmed the presence of mutations in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, crucial for the virus’s ability to infect host cells. While rare, these mutations have been observed in severe cases internationally. One mutation mirrors a finding in a severe case from British Columbia, Canada. Despite the unusual mutations, the CDC maintains that the risk to the general public remains low and no human-to-human transmission has been detected. The patient’s infection is with the D1.1 genotype, distinct from the B3.13 genotype found in some other U.S. poultry, dairy cows, and human cases.
First Piper 